Do you want to stream this weekend? Let me help you.

[Lirik]

Please Note: Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to stream. Simple as that. It requires a hefty computer and good internet speeds. A lot of sacrifice, gameplay wise, from the streamer, is also needed and determined by what quality you want to stream at. Also, I am still an up-and-coming live streamer but I have grown exponentially in the past week. I feel as though "my research" has paid off and I want to share it to you guys.

Background: I was really inspired by many streamers on twitch in order to start my own live stream. I had just built a new computer and started testing my way through. I was very discouraged and thought it would be extremely simple. I gave up and after awhile, I started realizing that people stream at high qualities with the same specs as me. So, I started out doing more research and stumbled upon many different guides and many "tips/tricks" and ended up creating a stream as close to possible to 720p without even having a twitch.tv encoder! That is not all though, creating a fun and interactive stream is CRUCIAL in order to have people stay in your stream and enjoy. Believe it or not, no one wants to watch someone stream a game with no commentary.

That is how I started off and of course I was very shy, so I didn't talk much. Now, that I have gotten used to it and have many regulars in my stream, I broke away from my "shell" and I fully express myself with my gaming knowledge, my "entertaining" skills in different video games, as well as keeping my stream as interactive as possible.

There is a lot of effort needed and I haven't fully perfected everything. But every day you learn and I hope this helps you guys in some ways.
I have noticed a lot of threads and comments on this subreddit the past week regarding people asking questions about livestreaming. I have responded to many people but I was asked to actually just make a post and answer people's questions.
So, here it is

"What software do you need to stream?"

In order to stream properly, you need streaming software and capture software or a capture card. Both streaming software and capture technology work in sync and are required. If you don't want to pay for capture software you can use Gamesource that comes with XSPLIT or Screen Region.

XSPLIT - Widely known as the most popular and most intuitive streaming program allowing you full customization and designed extremely well for gamers.

DXTORY - A fairly knew and considered to be the best capture software out currently.

GameSource - this program comes with xsplit and although it has its faults, some people have had luck with it. The program is still in beta and may cause constant stream crashes. Although, personally, I would not recommend it. The plus side is.. it is the cheaper alternative because it comes with the paid version of XSPLIT.

Screen Region - This is also a feature in xsplit which is used by many people who livestream podcasts, if they want to show an image, video, their desktop, ect on their stream. This is what screen region was designed for. But, some people actually end up using this feature to stream their game. Scroll down for a further analysis of screen region.

"How do I set up my stream?"

Here is the best guide for dxtory+xsplit:

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/view...opic_id=272764

Follow this guide word for word and watch the videos, even if you do not plan on using dxtory, make sure you educate yourself because he goes over very important topics for increasing stream quality/performance

Please note that you also have to buy dxtory and xsplit, I think it is about $40 for dxtory and $15 for 3 months of xsplit. Xsplit used to be free because it was in beta but has officially launched.** If you do not buy dxtory, there will be a big DXTORY sign on the screen when you livestream or record.**
"Why should I use a capture program, like dxtory, over a screen region?"

I personally use dxtory+xsplit and it is honestly the best solution in terms of minimal performance loss in conjunction with xsplit. Using a program like fraps really kills your FPS tremendously. Not only that, dxtory pulls directly from the 3d image projected from your graphics card which also is a plus in terms of performance.

Although you CAN use screen region, and if you don't want to drop the money on dxtory... you should use screen region but the problem is that the viewer will see your windows tray and also see the top bar of your screen(the one that shows when you play something in windowed mode, which is required for screen region.)

Many people do opt to use screen region but if you want to have a very clear and, in my opinion, fully enjoyable stream I'd recommend using dxtory.
There are also other alternatives you can look into, but I hope this information helps.

Also, if you want to see dxtory and xsplit in action, you can visit my PERSONAL STREAM and shuffle through my VOD's to compare video quality to yours as well as see exactly what I am talking about. You can also see my computer specs if you scroll down.

Internet speed: 15 down / 5 up (UP is more important)

Don't be disheartened by my internet speed, people can pull of a really good stream with even 2.5-3mb upload speed.

Here are my xsplit settings.

Note that I purchased xsplit so you will not have AAC sound options unless you bought it as well. So, if not just use SPEEX at the highest settings.
Also please note, finding the best settings for your setup comes down to a lot of trial and error of adjusting bit rate and fine tuning your game settings and PC settings in order to create a great experience. There is no end to tweaking settings but you can always get to something that looks just right.
It took me a long time until I got the perfect settings and I am proud to say with my specs, I was able to achieve a great quality stream, that many of my viewers point out and commend.


TIP: Sacrificing resolution for more FPS:

If you want a very big FPS boost.. and what I have been doing and have gotten used to is, playing in windowed mode.
For example, I have a 1920x1080 monitor, stream at a resolution of 1280x720 and also play at 1280x720. You could also make your resolution bigger but still leave it around 16:9, but for me it is the perfect resolution because I interact with my chat A LOT. It allows me to keep track of xsplit, stream chat, browser and my game. Many would not do this, but I personally have gotten used to it, quickly, mainly because both resolutions are 16:9 resolutions. This one thing gives a huge boost to performance, but of course many people are not fans of playing in windowed mode.

"How do I make my stream entertaining?"

Simple answer: Be Interactive.

That is all it comes down too. You need to show people that they can have a good time on your stream while showing people great gameplay a long side good commentary.
Don't look at those League of Legend players or SC2 players that get thousands of viewers, don't commentate, and just play the game. Those people showcase their skill to people looking to learn and get better at a specific game. That is the wrong person to look towards or to strive towards.

The average gamer needs to provide a stream that shows off one's gaming knowledge, gaming skills, as well as interaction and communication with fellow viewers. No one wants to watch you and your friend talk amongst your self on skype while you are planning on playing GW2.

Simple as that. If you want people to know who you are and want people to talk in chat and engage in conversation you need to get the ball rolling. I learned this after viewing many streams and getting tips from people I knew who streamed. I also realized that, in the long run I'd rather tune in to a stream to have a good entertaining time instead of watching someone stream who doesn't do anything but play without interacting or answering anyone's questions in chat.
I used to be like this when I started off. I used to sit there, music playing and streaming a game. That's it. I got 2-10 viewers who asked me what song I was playing and then left.

I completely changed the way I stream now and I fully incorporate my viewers into my stream and we create a community together.
You may be shy at first because you are talking to strangers but it gets better. When I decided to first turn on my mic, I barely said anything.. now, I don't shut up and I keep talking. I always talk to people in my chat and respond to almost every question, since then I have been getting a consistent viewer base and doing everything I can to show them that I will always answer their questions or respond back.

Although this is my personal advice, I started fully streaming about a week ago. I had a small audience but since then I have gotten a lot bigger and people have been coming in and having a great time because I put them before my game... but at the same time trying to provide a great experience.
If you are looking for examples, or even looking for what exactly you should even talk about... let me show you how random I am.. all you have to do is forward through out the video and notice how in each segment, I talk about completely different topics and a lot of them just stemming off of the viewers and what they were saying.
This is a recorded video of a stream I did yesterday where I had about 160 consistent viewers and also ended up giving away a copy of Guild Wars 2 because of the donators that really liked what I was doing.

MY STREAM

4/22/12 stream:

Example of how you can talk about anything and people will be interested and engaged.

4/22/12 stream giveaway:

One of the ways to interact with your stream.

Bottom line, if you show people you can provide a great show and be interactive, they will support you. It is an awesome relationship.
Personally, I've had a great streaming audience so far and already have many people who support my stream and what I have been doing. Because of them I have been able to do Giveaways for Guild Wars 2, and later on razer products mainly because they donate to me, and I give the money back to the stream by doing giveaways.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please ask.. I'm here to help. :-)

[AdrianCC100]

I don't understand why people have to keep copying and pasting this from Reddit. People who plan on streaming GW2 already know how to stream. Not to mention we already have a thread which lists everyone who will be streaming.

[Lirik]

I don't understand why people have to keep copying and pasting this from Reddit. People who plan on streaming GW2 already know how to stream. Not to mention we already have a thread which lists everyone who will be streaming.

I am the author of this post on reddit.. so it isn't a copy and paste. It was also suggested by several individuals and recommended to post it here.

Believe it or not, many people don't know how to stream properly... which can be seen from comments.

[AdrianCC100]

I am the author of this post on reddit.. so it isn't a copy and paste. It was also suggested by several individuals and recommended to post it here.

Believe it or not, many people don't know how to stream properly... which can be seen from comments.

Or simply go into the thread where everyone else is posting their stream information and copy and paste your reddit link in there.

[Edge-]

Or simply go into the thread where everyone else is posting their stream information and copy and paste your reddit link in there.

I was going to close and redirect them to that thread, but this has a ton of information and totally warrants its own thread.

[Lirik]

I was going to close and redirect them to that thread, but this has a ton of information and totally warrants its own thread.

Just searched up the stream thread, I didn't see it earlier. Never even knew it existed .